Billy Joel - Scandinavian Skies Lyrics






The sins of Amsterdam
Were still a recent surprise
And we were flying over
Scandinavian skies

We climbed towards the sun
We turned and cursed as one
We pulled the shades
And closed our eyes

The Stockholm city lights
Were slowly starting to rise
And we were strapped against
Those Scandinavian skies

The landing gear came down
And touched the Swedish ground
And we were all so paralyzed

On the plane
We were mainly sound and lights
In the veins
We could play the blues all night

The tour of Germany
Was bleeding into our eyes
And we were sailing over
Scandinavian skies

We had the Midas touch
Until we met the Dutch
And they exhausted our supplies

Who's to pay?
For this international flight
Who could stay
We were only there for the night
We watched the power fall
Inside the Oslo hall
While all the cold Norwegians cried

Who could say
What was left and where was right?
By the way
I could play the blues all night





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Billy Joel Scandinavian Skies Comments
  1. B.... P....

    My favorite song off a GREAT album!!!

  2. F.... B....

    Very Beatles like.

  3. A.... ....

    Nobody:

    this song: *warble*

  4. M.... ....

    sound so much ELO song

  5. J.... M....

    How do you create this song? Unreal

  6. t.... ....

    He sounds a lot like his former neighbour.

  7. D.... ....

    Scandinavian skies still over my head, I live in Sweden. And what a great song!

  8. B.... C....

    what language is that in the airport loudspeaker?

  9. L.... B....

    SCP "Cut Up Reagan"

  10. L.... B....

    SCP "Cut Up Reagan"

  11. L.... A....

    Another great song by the man...

  12. B.... C....

    vintage Billy Joel ... from the 80's...

  13. �.... �....

    Brilliant album!

  14. M.... P....

    Love this song. Was this the first time he worked with an orchestra?

  15. J.... C....

    What a powerful tune. Reminds me of Until the Night.

  16. c.... s....

    The sins of Amsterdam
    Were still a recent surprise
    And we were flying over
    Scandinavian Skies
    We climbed towards the sun
    We turned and cursed as one
    We pulled the shades
    And closed our eyes
    The Stockholm city lights
    Were slowly starting to rise
    And we were strapped against
    Those Scandinavian skies
    The landing gear came down
    And touched the Swedish ground
    And we were all so paralyzed
    On the plane
    We were mainly sound and lights
    In the veins
    We could play the blues all night
    The tour of Germany
    Was bleeding into our eyes
    And we were sailing over
    Scandinavian skies
    We had the Midas touch
    Until we met the Dutch
    And they exhausted our supplies
    Who's to pay?
    For this international flight
    Who could stay
    We were only there for the night
    We watched the power fall
    Inside the Olso hall
    While all the cold Norweigians cried
    Who could say
    What was left and where was right?
    By the way
    I could play the blues all night

  17. M.... ....

    This song must be about Black Metal bands playing shows in the sky I guess.

  18. S.... L....

    I’m getting Phillip Glass vibes from this

  19. A.... S....

    The sins of Amsterdam
    Were still a recent surprise
    And we were flying over
    Scandinavian Skies
    We climbed towards the sun
    We turned and cursed as one
    We pulled the shades
    And closed our eyes
    The Stockholm city lights
    Were slowly starting to rise
    And we were strapped against
    Those Scandinavian skies
    The landing gear came down
    And touched the Swedish ground
    And we were all so paralyzed
    On the plane
    We were mainly sound and lights
    In the veins
    We could play the blues all night
    The tour of Germany
    Was bleeding into our eyes
    And we were sailing over
    Scandinavian skies
    We had the Midas touch
    Until we met the Dutch
    And they exhausted our supplies
    Who's to pay?
    For this international flight
    Who could stay
    We were only there for the night
    We watched the power fall
    Inside the Olso hall
    While all the cold Norweigians cried
    Who could say
    What was left and where was right?
    By the way
    I could play the blues all night

  20. P.... X....

    This song is one of the best trips ever.

  21. J.... C....

    Great track off my favorite Billy Joel's album!

  22. B.... M....

    This is like the best fncking song from the 80's YEAH!!!!!! (except some really cool song like Journey's 'Don't stop beleiving'

  23. D.... M....

    So... Is it just me or the song ends in a more upbeat tempo than when it started? 🤔🤔🤔

  24. M.... G....

    Love this song. At his best Billy Joel was just stunningly talented.

  25. M.... W....

    There was a lot of retro psychedelia running through the music scene in the early '80's and a lot of terribly cheesy attempts (and a few very successful ones) at recreating that sound in a contemporary context. Joel nails it so well with this album and this song particularly. Love the little martial drumming in the background. Actually all the little sonic details are lovely.

    M.... W....

    personally another one I think that really got nailed to beatle sound too in my opinion was Kurt and Roland of tears for fears.
    not just the radio stuff but the deeper cuts from their albums they came really close sowing the seeds of Love is almost straight out of a magical mystery tour kind of thing to me...
    another reason I think amongst all the pop of the Duran Duran he kind of stuff in the mainstream 80s pop tears for fears kind of stood out to me and I still enjoy songs from the big chair and sowing the seeds album

  26. r.... ....

    Genius and God given talent

  27. C.... K....

    'Tour of germany' he hits that off note on purpose I think to sound like john lennon

  28. M.... ....

    Love this track - just brilliant.

  29. T.... M....

    Figures this song has that odd late Beatles feel, it's about a Heroin trip.

  30. M.... H....

    The problem was not so much the Heroin as being without the Heroin!! Not to mention exploding abscesses resembling gunshot wounds !!! Be advised!!!! Truth!!!!!!

  31. M.... M....

    BJ said on Howard Stern that this song specifically was about trying Heroin while he was in Europe. He absolutely nailed it.

    M.... M....

    🤔 trying heroin yes I agree.
    as far as being strung out on heroin I have to give that to Lou Reed and The Velvet underground of their song of the name heroin... that is a harrowing song sounds like a junkie on a run

  32. j.... b....

    If I'm not mistaken, I think I read that he wrote this while trying heroin for the first time.

    j.... b....

    john b. I just read the same thing recently

    j.... b....

    he confirmed this on a Sirius XM interview with Howard Stern. he said it was his one and only time trying heroin.

  33. O.... ....

    I always thought the melodies @0:45, @2:32 @3:54, and @5:17 were from some other famous song.

  34. M.... S....

    Very Beatlesque...

  35. P.... S....

    Soooo Beatles. Or should I say: John Lennon-ish.
    Ohhh.. let me take you down, to the scandinavian skayayayiiissssss.. and finish it off with a walrushhh-ish.
    But he's right though. About the light scandinavian summer nights. About Amsterdam too

    P.... S....

    Great breakdown!!!!!

  36. T.... H....

    The whole album was a Beatle homage, if you ask me.

    T.... H....

    Really? Interesting. I can definitely see it in this specific song, but please spit your theory about the albumas a whole. Not that I agree or disagree, it's just that as a long time fan of The Beatles and Billy Joel (and esp of this album), I've never heard that comparison!

    T.... H....

    He's right and Billy Joel himself has said as much and if you search for "Billy Joel on The NYLON CURTAIN" on here he talks of The Nylon Curtain and references Sgt Pepper, although in fairness I think only a handful of tracks on the album are a nod to The Beatles.

    He's also touched on how he was influenced by them since first seeing them on television as a kid too.

    T.... H....

    Actually reminds me of Klaatu.. honest. ;)

    T.... H....

    I sure as hell thought so when I first heard it. 25 years later I still think so. :-)

    T.... H....

    This song and Laura really stuck on me has being being very Beatles. Pressure and Allentown just real deal billy Joel.

  37. S.... A....

    From 1982 till now ,,, Scandinavian Sky is no more like it was ,,, a Paradise

  38. L.... ....

    Always loved the creepiness on this one when my pops put this on.

  39. M.... T....

    As much as I love Billy's work and been a fan for a long time,John Lennon he is not,have to say this is perhaps the worst most depressing album track he has ever done but every great artist is allowed a DUD now and then

    M.... T....

    +Mark Thorpe wrong

    M.... T....

    +Mark Thorpe This is my second favorite track on the album after "Allentown." I can still remember hearing "Skies" on the local FM rock station fall 1982.

    M.... T....

    I remember hearing this on the radio in 82 as well. Great tune

    M.... T....

    Someone can't be wrong with regards to their opinion because only they can decide that, even if in this instance I also happen to disagree with that opinion.

    You can tell someone that you disagree with their opinion but you can't tell them their opinion is wrong and that's like saying they are wrong if the prefer chocolate ice cream to strawberry. It's all about personal taste.

    M.... T....

    +amazed66 WRONG!!

  40. B.... K....

    I would through this was Graham Nash rather than Billy Joel.

  41. R.... C....

    Channeling the Beatles, particularly John Lennon... I've always thought this was a brilliant piece!

    R.... C....

    I hear A Day In the Life in some of the instrumentation, too. This is TOTALLY a Lennon homage song!

    R.... C....

    You got that right! It is very Lennonisk, indeed.

    R.... C....

    I've definitely noticed a whole lot of John on this album. Surprised I didn't notice it before, but it's been a long time since putting this on any rotation.

    R.... C....

    I am the walrus

    R.... C....

    the nylon curtain was Bill's Sgt. pepper
    songs like Laura where's the orchestra and for that matter even the song like pressure I was just kind of tips the balance and it doesn't follow one particular style which makes the nylon curtain a very great album still quite enjoyable start to finish

  42. D.... C....

    Love the drumming and percussion in this song.

    D.... C....

    was trying to figure it out, in the beginning, the drums very reminiscent of 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, which was also produced by Phil Ramone

  43. M.... ....

    Substance abuse is joel's strong suit.  Wasn't captain jack a song about marijuana?  He is a known alcoholic.

    M.... ....

    I read somewhere that Joel wrote this song about spoiled college kids parting and getting high rather than studying and what not. I feel like that makes a lot of sense. I annoys me that people interpret it a song about masturbation, it's mentioned once. Devo's Whip It is about that, without mentioning the words. Captain Jack is, in my mind, about spoiled kids wasting their college lives away.

    M.... ....

    You are indeed right. But Scandinavian sky's is about his tour when he got shot with heroin

    M.... ....

    Marijuana is not a drug; it´s a plant.
    A drug is specifically and only used for its psychoactive effect, whereas cannabis has medical utilities.

    M.... ....

    Also very talented

    M.... ....

    Also drank shoe polish.

  44. w.... ....

    Takes me back

  45. J.... t....

    What is this song about?

    J.... t....

    Explaination here: http://mainichi.jp/english/english/features/news/20140429p2g00m0et068000c.html

    J.... t....

    @Ierathel John 404 there.

    J.... t....

    @Ross Parlette Sorry but six months later the informations seem to have been erased from the japanese newspaper. That being said, you can find the same datas here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/10794914/Billy-Joel-speaks-of-heroin-use.html

    J.... t....

    @Ierathel John Thanks for the update, I posted w/o looking to see how old this was. After I saw the "6 months ago" I didn't really expect to get a reply.

    J.... t....

    @Ross Parlette You're welcome !

  46. J.... E....

    The drum at 0:36 sounds just like the drum in Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover." The rest of the song sounds like a perfect Beatles impersonation.

    J.... E....

    Haha! Three FANTASTIC bands/singers in your comment!:)

    J.... E....

    the descending swirling strings reminds me of several songs in the Beatles White Album. George Martins string arrangements

    J.... E....

    I always thought this was a beatles parody.  A great one!

    J.... E....

    +David Lane More a homage than a parody.

    J.... E....

    noticed that too, same producer Phil Ramone

  47. R.... C....

    Beatle-esque for sure.  Echoes of "I Am The Walrus."
    Lyrical phrasing is very close to John and Paul.  Strings
    and shifts in tempo call Beatles to mind also.

    R.... C....

    Lol Not really, i think it sounds neither like john and paul. Its more george, the beginning has a blue jay way sound its very george rather than the other two

    R.... C....

    Ron: Yes sir & I can hear what brownstone said about Blue Jay Way as well! A lot people don't know this but John was a HUGE Billy fan!!! They had houses near each other in Cove Neck & John would drive by Billy's house & yell "where are you billly Joel I love & have all your albums" & tell Sean to "say hi to billy Joel" when on the boat passing his house. He wanted to go to Billy's house & introduce himself but didn't wanna bother him! Billy wanted to go introduce himself but didn't wanna bother John. How crazy! I love hearing that John loved & had all his albums

  48. J.... L....

    I heard Sade's 'Soldier of Love' marching into some 'Norwegian Wood', with the 'Pepper's Marching Band', and a dash of Frank Zappa in the meowing of violins. Wow!

  49. V.... S....

    "Hello George"....:)

  50. T.... W....

    Absolutely. If I didn't know it was Billy J. they would be my second guess.

  51. S.... P....

    Great song from a very good album!

  52. D.... ....

    Has a beatles vibe :)

  53. B.... S....

    Why does no one know of this song!?

  54. d.... ....

    Amazing song!

  55. t.... i....

    only uploaded one month ago .....

  56. R.... ....

    26th viewer on a vevo? Wat.